Decorative posts for crowd control

ABSTRACT

A rail assembly is provided which includes a rail support bracket. The rail support bracket is an extruded member have a rail receiving opening and a pair of legs. Each of the legs has a plurality of parallel locking wedge means. The locking wedge means is transverse to the legs. The legs are capable of being received in a rail structure having locking wedge means at right angles to and positioned for engagement with the plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending, inwardly directed wedge shaped locking means. The assembly can also include first rail member and a second rail member, each having one end received in the rail receiving opening, and a wedge locking means. The wedge locking means has a first region force fit between an end of the first rail member and the bracket rail receiving opening and a second region force fit between one end of the second rail member and the bracket rail receiving opening. Through the force fit at least one of either the wedge locking means and/or the rail member is distorted, thereby locking rails in said bracket. In an additional embodiment the wedge locking means is an extruded plastic member and is distorted by the force between a rail and the bracket.

This is a divisional of copending application Ser. No. 854,445, filedApr. 21, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,548.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to railing systems and, more particularly, toextruded aluminum railing systems and components thereof for use incrowd control, stairwells, office furniture restaurant equipment and thelike.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

For years posts and ropes have been used for directing and containingcrowds in restaurants, banks etc. The posts are square or cylindricalwith the standard end caps being balls or flat caps. Only a very limitednumber of decorative end caps are on the market, i.e. horse head oracorn. While it is apparent that it would be desirable to have auniversal structure which could interchangeably be used in essentiallyunrelated applications, the prior art devices have failed to achieve thedesired end result.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,520, Walters discloses a rail assembly systemwhich departs from the common used systems. In the patent is disclosed alocking mechanism, as illustrated in FIG. 16, in which a U-shapedcapping member 100 is provided with stepped serations 102a which embedthemselves in the angular ridges 91a on the inside wall of the element90 when the wedge 108 is forced downwardly and the two walls 102 aredriven apart. FIGS. 2 and 18 to 20 disclose top channel elements whichcan be used with the Walters rail system. One of the problemsencountered with this type of element locking system is that when usedwith anodized aluminum, the pressure generated by the interlocking ofparts results in sufficient metal distortion to produce a undesirableblemish on the surface of the rail.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,686 to Knott et al, a railing system is disclosedwhich includes pickets 76 which can be secured to the bottom rail 62 byscrews 82 which are received in the spline 78. Unfortunately, the use ofscrews necessitates the use of a cover plate to hide the screws. Thus,the mechanism of securing the parts together dictates the appearance ofthe system.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,243 to Seiler discloses a rail which is formed oftwo extruded rail members 12 and 13. The Seiler systems requires the useof different structures for the horizontal and vertical members.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,245 to Murdock, an interlocking frameconstruction for supporting panels of wire mesh screen, or the like, isdescribed which can be used as fencing along roadways. The posts arerectangular tubular members which can be formed by an extrusion process.The Murdock posts are of a heavy construction and provided withanchoring means for securing the posts into concrete. The grooves 33 inthe posts 12 are wedge shaped to allow for firmly locking the sideportions 37. The disclosed structure is designed for extreme rigidity asit can be used to protect pedestrians from falling off overpasses, etc.The design does not provide a desired level of versatility and thelocking components 39 and 41 would suffer from the same problem noted inregard to U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,520, in that the locking pressure would bedirectly transmitted to the outer surface of the rail.

The anodized aluminum post of Trafton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,343 is of acircular configuration with "a plurality of longitudinal grooves in itsouter periphery" to which to attach brackets. The post, althoughlightweight and maintenance free, would not provide for versatility ofdesign.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,844, Barrett, discloses a post having verticalgrooves along its length in each of its four sides, thus forming an Xtype configuration when viewed from the top. The grooves are used forthe attachment of shelf support brackets.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,170, to Deadrick discloses the use of extruded metalto form desk legs. The extruded vertical support member 44, asillustrated in FIG. 5 of the Deadrick patent is provided with channelswhich can accommodate removable panels 45. The disclosure, however, doesshow that the physical structure must accommodate screws connectionsdoes not provide the versatility required to use the system forinterchangeable use with furniture, rails, partitions and the like.

Rectangular cross sectional configuration posts are well known in theprior art patents, such as for rail systems. However, the prior artsystems fail to provide the desired level of versatility without asacrifice of aesthetic quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been found that the shortcomings of the prior art can beovercome by means of a unique structure which achieves universality ofuse without sacrificing structural or aesthetic requirements.

In accordance with the present invention a rail assembly is providedwhich includes an extruded rail support bracket having a rail receivingopening and a pair of legs. Each of the legs has a plurality of parallellocking wedge means transverse to the legs. The legs are capable ofbeing received in a rail structure having locking wedge means at rightangles to and positioned for engagement with the plurality of parallel,longitudinally extending, inwardly directed wedge shaped locking means.The assembly can also include first rail member and a second railmember, each having one end received in the rail receiving opening, anda wedge locking means. The wedge locking means has a first region forcefit between an end of the first rail member and the bracket railreceiving opening and a second region force fit between one end of thesecond rail member and the bracket rail receiving opening. Through theforce fit at least one of either the wedge locking means and/or the railmember is distorted, thereby locking the rails in said bracket. In anadditional embodiment the wedge locking means is an extruded plasticmember and is distorted by the force between a rail and the bracket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages and objects of the invention will become apparent and theinvention will be more fully understood from the followingspecification, particularly when read in conjunction with the drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a rail post according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is perspective view of a rail support bracket for use with therail post of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view, partly in section of a rail post and a railsupport bracket, with the rail post fixed to the ground by a pole whichembedded in concrete;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the rail post of FIG. 1 with a center supportpole;

FIG. 5 is a top view of another embodiment of a rail post;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a further embodiment of a rail post;

FIG. 7 is a top view of another embodiment of a rail post;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the rail post of FIG. 7, showing a railsupport bracket in position;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side view of a hand rail cover positioned on arail post;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side view of another embodiment of a hand railcover, with the hand rail cover positioned on a rail post;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary side view of a connecting element for joiningtwo rail posts at an angle;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a base channel for supporting a railpost;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of a tube holder extrusion;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side view of a rail support bracket with a railand a tube holder;

FIG. 15 is fragmentary side view, in section, of the rail supportbracket of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary perspective view of an alternate tube holderextrusion;

FIG. 17 is a cut away side view of a rail support bracket with a railand alternate tube holder;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary side view, in section of the rail supportbracket and tube holder of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a side view of a connecting hinge, panel connection side;

FIG. 20 is a side view of a connecting hinge, post connection side;

FIG. 21 is a top view of an alternate rail support post;

FIG. 22 is a top view of an additional alternate rail support post;

FIG. 23 is a top view of an additional rail support post;

FIG. 24 is a top view of an additional rail support post;

FIG. 25 is a top view of an escutcheon plate; and

FIG. 26 is a top view of an additional escutcheon plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the rail post 14 can be arectangular member, preferably a square. However, the outercircumference can be any polygon from a square to a circle. As employedherein, the term circle is a polygon of an infinite number of sides. Thechannel wall 25 is recessed slightly from the corner ridges 30 and 32and is used as a decorative area. Decorative strips can be placed in thechannel wall 25 to correspond to the decor of the area in which it isbeing used. The strips can be either a decorated treated paper withadhesive on the back or a semi rigid material which can be slipped ontothe channel wall 25 and held in place by the slight overlap of thecorner ridges 30 and 32.

It has been found that when internal pressure is applied to extrudedaluminum it causes lighter or blemished areas in the region of thepressure. By recessing the channel wall 25 and creating a "decorative"area, the blemishes caused by the rail support bracket leg 22 are hiddenby the decorative strips. The support post clamp 40 prevents movement ofthe rail post 14 about the support post 31, shown in FIG. 4. The supportpost 31 can be sunk into concrete for permanent installations orattached to a weighted base for mobile units. If the support post 31 issunk into concrete a decorative cap can be used at the base to hide anyvisible concrete. Since the rail post 14 can be extruded in anydimension, a custom order can be dimensioned so as to cover anyconcrete. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the use of a stationary orsemistationary support post 31 allows for the decorative post unit 10 tobe changed at the user's option, creating the opportunity to haveholiday decor or to allow for a complete change of decor. The ridges 44provide frictional locking between the rail support bracket 17 and therail post 14 by the rail support ridges 50 interacting with the ridges44 on the rail post 14. The support post clamp 40 is spaced from thewalls of the rail post 14 by the support post clamp spacers 38 and 36.The spacing of the support post claim 40 from the walls provides theadvantage of being able to use a smaller post for support than fordecorative purposes. To use a heavy support the dimension of the railpost 14 would be a substantial unnecessary expense as well as beingbulky to move. A one to two inch diameter metal post provides sufficientrigidity.

The rail support bracket 17 is illustrated in FIG. 2, showing thetubular rail 19a inserted into one end of the rail guide 18 of the railsupport bracket 17. A second tubular rail 19 would be inserted into theopen end of the rail guide 18 and locked therein by use of lockingmeans, a tubular rail holder 20 disclosed further herein. The railsupport bracket 17 can be extruded in any desired configuration, howevercertain dimensions must be maintained in order to allow for the properfit between the rail support bracket 17 and the rail post 14. The lengthB, the distance between the ridges 44 and their counterpart, must beslightly greater than the distance A, the space between the rail supportbracket leg 22 and rail support bracket leg 20. The length B can only bea fraction of an inch greater than of distance A to allow for thefriction fit previously disclosed. The spaced between the end cap leg 20and end cap leg 22 must be greater than the width of the support postclamp 40 to allow for clearance. In addition to the internal dimensionalrequirements for the friction fit between the rail support bracket 17and the rail post 14, it is desirable that the outer dimensions of thetwo units be equal or, that any unequal dimensions be a desired resultof design. The distance C and the distance F are at least equal so thatthe rail support bracket 17 sits squarely on the rail post 14, theDistance C being less than the Distance F would cause the rail supportbracket 17 to be unbalanced. The outer dimensions between the end capleg 20 and end cap leg 22 must be slightly less than the space betweenthe ridges 44 to allow the end cap 12 to be inserted. The spacingbetween the post 14 and end cap 12 must be carefully controlled as toomuch space between the parts allows the end cap 12 to rattle and toolittle space creates a difficult fit.

FIG. 3 illustrates the decorative post unit 10 in its assembled state,with the rail post 14 partially cut away to reveal the fitting of theend cap leg 22. The interlocking caused by the ridges 44 of the railpost 14 and the rail support ridges 50 is essentially the same as wouldbe produced in the device of Walters as illustrated in FIG. 4, exceptthat the resultant metal distortions are isolated from the exposed outersurfaces. The support post clamp 40 of FIG. 3 is permanently embedded ina concrete base in the ground. The rail post 14 is formed of extrudedaluminum of a size and length predetermined in manufacture, adhering tothe critical dimensions as disclosed herein. The rail support bracket 17can be extruded in many configurations to provide a desired aestheticeffect.

FIG. 4 illustrates the rail post 14 of FIG. 1 placed over the supportpost 31. The support post clamp 40 and support post clamp 42 hold thesupport post 31 and prevent slippage of the rail post 14.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate rail post 14 without the ridges 44. Thespacers 50, 52, 54 and 56 replace the ridges 44 and are used to lock therail support bracket leg 20 and rail support bracket leg 22 in place andprevent movement of the rail support bracket 17. The positioning of therail support ridges 50, 52, 54, and 56 have the advantage of removingthe stress from an outer surface. The spaces 50, 52, 54 and 56 areplaced so as to utilize the connection between the channel 25 and thecorner ridges 30, to provide additional strength, thereby preventing anytwisting of the metal while eliminating any necessity for constructionchanges.

Similarly, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the locking ridges 60, 62, 64and 66 function as in the manner of the rail support ridges 50, 52, 54and 56 except to the extent that the pressure is totally isolated fromthe outer surface and is advantageously transmitted to the tubularsupport post 31.

In the rail support post 80 of FIG. 7, the exterior of the post 80 is ascallop formation without the individual channel areas 24, 25, 26 and 27of the rail post 14. The interlocking of the ridges 82 of the "T" shapedspacers 84a, 84b, 84c and 84d with the ridges 52 on the legs 53 of theend caps or rail support brackets, as shown in FIG. 8, prevent therelative movement of the rail support post 80 and the rail supportbracket 12 which is inserted into its upper end. The spacers 84a, 84b,84c and 84d must extend from the inside surface 83 of the walls 85 ofthe post 80 a distance such that the distance between the spacers 84a,84b, 84c and 84d and the corresponding flanges 86a, 86b, 86c and 86d isslightly less than the thickness of the legs 54 and 56 of the bracket12. A friction fit is thus attained.

The rail post 14 can be used in combination with a hand rail cover 90and thus function as a hand rail. In the embodiment of FIG. 9 the handrail cover 90 is provided with a snap fitting rail cover stop 92. Thelocking tab 94 of the rail cover stop 92 interlocks with the lockingflange 70 of the rail post 14. The locking tab 98 similarly snaps overthe locking flange 99 of the rail post 14.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the hand rail cover 90 has a sliding typeof interlocking with the rail post 14. In this embodiment the lockingleg 95 of the rail guide member 93 engages with the locking flange 70 ofthe rail post 14, riding in the channel formed by the locking flange 70and the channel wall 26. Similarly, the stop 97 rests on the lockingflange 70, providing rigidity.

The rail post 14 or the rail support post 80 can be secured to a fixedstructure or a like rail post by means of a connector mechanism. Asillustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 11, the connector 111 can be anextruded symmetrical member having two mirror image sections offset at apredetermined angle. Thus, the rail post 114 is provided with apredetermined mitered end so as to be at a predetermined angle withrespect to another rail post 116 which typically has a correspondingmitered end. The connector 111 locks the two rail posts 114 and 116together by virtue of the teeth 150 of the connector legs 122interlocking with the ridges 44 in the same manner a previouslydescribed in respect to the teeth 50 of the rail support bracket leg 22.

In another embodiment a connector 120 can have a "U" shapedconfiguration for use at the end of a rail post. A screw or boltreceiving opening 124 can be provided for securing the connector 120 toa fixed structure.

FIG. 13 illustrates a plastic connector which can be used to secure apair of tubular rails to a rail support bracket without the use ofscrews or other conventionally employed devices. The connector 120 is anextruded element which can be cut into sections of about 1/2 inch. Inuse, the connector 120 is placed centrally in a rail support bracket110. A first tubular rail 106 is then inserted into the support bracket110. Movement of the connector 120 can be prevented by inserting a tool,such as a screw driver, into the tool receiving region 123 formed by theflange 121 of the connector 122. Next, the second rail 104 is insertedinto the support bracket 110. The upstanding flanges 126 and 125 limitthe degree to which the rails can be inserted, as illustrated further inFIG. 15. As evident from FIG. 14, the wedge region 128 of the connector120 is distorted by the rail 106. The force fit of the rail 106 into theconnector 120 causes the wedge region 128 to conform to the availablespace. The material of construction of the connector 120 must be rigidenough to resist deformation but must be sufficiently deformable to moveunder the force of the rail being inserted to the bracket. Materials ofconstruction such as polyethylene, polypropylene and nylon can providethe required physical characteristics.

An alternate to the connector 120 is illustrated in FIG. 16. Theconnector 120 is manufactured from a substance which will not deform,such as heavy metals or plastic. The connector 120 is inserted into therail support bracket 110 and secured therein through use of toolreceiving region 162, as previously described. When the rail 100 isinserted into the rail support bracket 110 the rail 100 deforms aroundthe connector 160, as illustrated in FIG. 17. The deformed section 102creates a friction fit over the connector 160 securing it to theconnector.

An additional embodiment of the connector of FIG. 16 is illustrated inFIG. 18. The connector 160 has been provided with inwardly extendingflanges 124 and 126 which serve to limit the extent to which the rails106 and replace the claim with 104 Cancel be inserted into the rail post110.

FIG. 19 illustrates the panel side hinge member 190 of a panel hingeassembly. Its counterpart, the post side hinge member 200 is illustratedin FIG. 20. The panel hinge members 190 and 200 are used to attachoffice panels, screens, etc. to the rail support post 14 at an angle. Apanel (not shown) is attached to the panel side member 190 by affixingthe connector plate 192 to the panel, using any of the well knownattachment mechanisms such as screws or adhesives. The means foraffixing the panel side member 190 to the panel can be determined attime of manufacture dependent on the construction of the panel itself.The post side hinge member 200 is slid into the channel wall 25 andblocked from falling out by the ridges 132 which lock the protrusions202 and 204 in the channel wall 25. Movement of the post side hingemember 200 within the post channel wall 25 can be by means of anadhesive, screws wedge means or the like. The front plate 206 can bedecorated to correspond with the other channels 25 of the rail supportpost 14. The pivot arm 194 is slid down and over the hinge pin 208,thereby connecting the panel to the rail support post 14. In order topermit adjustment of the angle of the panel relative to the support rail14, the distance of the opening indicated by the arrow 196 of the pivotarm 194 must be substantially greater than the diameter of the receivingpin arm 210. It should be understood that the dimension of the openingas indicated by the arrow 196 must be small enough to prevent accidentalwithdrawal of the pivot pin 208 from the pivot arm 194. Alternatively,the shape of the pivot pin 208 and the corresponding shape of the pivotpin receiving region of the pivot arm can be non-circular, as forexample hexangonal so that the attachment angle relative movement isprecluded. However, the degree of adjustment is limited dependent uponthe shape which has been selected. The term "extruded" as employedherein is intended to describe a structure of essentially non-varyingcross-section. As applied to a rail post or a rail, it means a tubularstructure, without necessarily implying a circular or ovalcross-section. It does, however, have an essentially non-varyingcross-section along its length. An extruded post or rail is generally aslender structure, that is, it is of substantially greater length thanwidth and a post is commonly employed vertically while a rail iscommonly employed horizontally or at a slight incline to the horizon.

FIGS. 21, 22, 23 and 24 illustrate some of the variables which can beachieved within the scope of the instant invention. The octagonalreceiving pin arm 210 and circular rail support post 230 have no channelmeans and can be used as would a standard post. Although not providedwith channel, receiving pin arm 210 can be decorated with adhesivestrips. FIGS. 22 and 24 are provided with channel wall means 222 and242, to allow for the decorative strips, as disclosed herein. FIGS. 25and 26 illustrate two of the many variations of escutcheon plates to beused with the decorative posts. The escutcheon plate 270 can be usedwith rail support posts 220, 230 and 240, while the escutcheon plate 260is used with receiving pin arm 21. The interior of the receiving pinarm, as shown through the receiving area 252, is as previouslydescribed. The use of an escutcheon plate allows for the easily extrudedsquare or rectangularly based rail support bracket 17 to be used withthe non-square and non-rectangular rail support posts by hiding the areanot covered by the rail support bracket. The escutcheon plate can beextruded or made from any procedure known in the art, and colored tocorrespond to the rail structure.

The designs illustrated herein for both the base and end caps are usedas examples and should in no way be considered to limit the scope of theinvention. The extrusion dies can be produced in any number of desiredshapes providing almost limitless combinations.

What is claimed is:
 1. A rail structure, said rail structure comprisinga rectangular extruded member,at least a pair of inwardly extendinglocking means extending from opposing walls of said extruded member, aplurality of parallel, longitudinally extending, inwardly directed wedgeshaped locking means on at least a pair of said inwardly extendinglocking means, wherein each of said inwardly extending locking meanscomprises a "U" shaped channel forming member having its base parallelto the wall from which it extends and its side walls extending inwardlyfrom the walls of said rectangular member, said wedge shaped lockingmeans being spaced on said base of said "U" shaped channel formingmember.
 2. The structure of claim 1, wherein said walls of said extrudedrectangular member extend beyond the walls of said channel formingmember, thereby providing a flange structure which extends over said "U"shaped channel forming member in a direction essentially parallel to thebase of said "U" shaped channel forming member.
 3. The structure ofclaim 1, wherein said inwardly extending locking means is a "T" shapedflange member.
 4. The structure of claim 3, wherein said wedge shapedlocking means is positioned on the arms of the "T".